Traditional mosquito control methods and spraying systems utilized and found in the prior art generally consisted of thermal smoke generators. Typically, this device or process involves the creation of a gaseous smoke that serves as a carrier for the selected insecticide, pesticide, water, petroleum or synthetically formulated liquids. The use of thermal smoke generators, particularly when mounted on motorized vehicles, can often create visual obstructions and lead to dangerous spraying conditions, especially in residential areas. In addition, the application of the gaseous smoke can be inefficient, uneven, require a large amount of pesticide to be integrated with the gaseous smoke, and can be poorly targeted due to the influence of ambient environmental and weather conditions, such as wind, topography, etc.
More recently, spraying techniques have begun to utilize Cold Aerosol Ultra Low Volume (ULV) generators to disperse insect and mosquito control products. Ultra Low Volume technology provides a light cloud of spray comprising a very specific size of droplet. The use of Ultra Low Volume generators typically allow an efficient delivery of a very specific amount of liquid or chemical to the targeted areas inhabited by insects, such as the mosquito, thereby reducing the amount of liquid chemical required for spraying. Typically, the Ultra Low Volume spray clouds are generated through the use of either gas driven blowers or electrically driven rotary sleeves. The Ultra Low Volume blowing equipment can produce a significant amount of undesirable emissions and comprise a number of components which need to be maintained and/or calibrated, such as pumps, meters, flow controls, and filtering devices. In this regard, the expense of such equipment is often cost prohibitive to many smaller municipalities, commercial applicators, or homeowner/development groups that seek to provide mosquito control and insect spraying services to its citizens and residents.
While these prior art devices can perform well and do effectuate mosquito control in many circumstances, they often require a large capital investment to place the equipment into service, utilize a large amount of maintenance resources during operation as well as storage space during periods of non-use, and require additional labor demand to monitor and maintain the systems to ensure that they are in working order when needed. For instance, multi-component Ultra Low Volume spraying packages often require placement and mounting upon dedicated spraying vehicles. In turn, the entity or organization charged with responsibility for the spraying application process is required to devote both financial and technical resources to transportation the multi-component equipment during operation and justify the expenses to its respective constituency, residents, or other recipients of the spraying services.
Moreover, in recent years, state and federal health agencies and organizations in the United States have documented the introduction and spread of a number of viruses and diseases that have been traced to airborne-carrying insects, such as the mosquito. For example, the West Nile Virus and forms of malaria and encephalitis have been identified in both human and animal subjects. In some cases, these viruses have been fatal to humans with children and the elderly being particularly susceptible. At the same time, state and federal environmental legislation and environmental preservation causes have sought protection for “wetlands” areas to preserve the natural environment in designated areas which may be directly adjacent to areas inhabited by human residents. Although preservation of natural resources and the ecosystem are important objectives, a traditional “wetlands” area is generally conducive to the habitation and breeding of large numbers of mosquito populations. Given the airborne and mobile nature of a flying insect, such as the mosquito, the mosquito population often comes into contact with human inhabitants living nearby.
In response to these newly documented health dangers being carried by the mosquito and potential human transmission of life-threatening diseases through contact with the mosquito, both the public and governmental authorities have focused on the need to protect residential populations through cost-effective mosquito control management programs. In so doing, one of the clearest and basic needs is to provide physical equipment and infrastructure to facilitate the application of spraying techniques to control the mosquito population in residential areas.
Accordingly, there is need for a simple low cost system and spraying technique that provides an integrated and dependable application of selected liquid materials to designated geographic areas.